5-0 and they still want more! Pep Guardiola insists Manchester City ‘could do better’ after thrashing Sporting Libson, while star man Bernardo Silva says they were ‘SLOPPY’ in the first half despite scoring four before the break
- Man City left Portugal with statement five-goal advantage over Sporting Lisbon
- Pep Guardiola is attempting to mastermind run to the Champions League final
- Bernardo Silva scored twice but believes they have another level to reach
- Catalan boss Guardiola echoed Silva and is demanding more of his players
Manchester City demolished Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League last night – then claimed they have room for improvement.
City left Portugal with a statement five-goal advantage before next month’s second leg as Pep Guardiola attempts to mastermind another run to the Champions League final.
But Bernardo Silva – who scored twice – believes they have another level to reach, which serves as a warning to their European rivals.
Manchester City have warned their rivals they can still improve despite thrashing Sporting Lisbon
Bernardo Silva – who scored twice in the 5-0 win – believes they have another level to reach
‘I think in the first half we weren’t that good to be winning 4-0, we were a bit sloppy, lost some easy balls to let them counter,’ Silva said.
‘We were clinical, and you need luck to score that many goals. You can still improve and we can still do better. Sometimes you play better than we did in that first half and we have gone in 0-0. We can always still improve.’
City have set themselves up to qualify for the quarter finals with ease and Tuesday night was the 43rd occasion that they have scored at least five goals in a single game under Guardiola.
Raheem Sterling entered the club’s top 10 goalscorers of all time, with a stunning curling strike his 127th in a City shirt. Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez also netted in a ruthless display.
Raheem Sterling entered the club’s top 10 goalscorers of all time, with a stunning curling strike
Yet Guardiola, who had been visibly agitated on the touchline in the second half, echoed Silva and is demanding more of his players.
‘We have to do one more game to reach the quarter finals,’ he said. ‘The players know me and the way we work that we can do better. In terms of our build up some of them could do better.
‘I’m incredibly happy, please don’t misunderstand me, but we can do better. There is one rule in football: when you have the ball and that’s not to lose it. We had some simple passes that we lost. Against the top sides in Europe we would be punished.
‘Some players underperformed, we lost easy balls, but we were so clinical. Every time we scored. The difference between the two teams is not 0-5, they attacked with a lot of players in front of the ball but we punished them on the counter. Take care of the ball. Pass to someone in the same t-shirt.
Guardiola, who had been visibly agitated on the touchline is demanding more of his players
‘Joao (Cancelo) missed a lot of balls. We allowed them to make transitions. (But) we defended well. We have a duty as a manager and a team to analyse how we did collectively. The result is a dream, such a big result. We did nearly a perfect Champions League last season, lost the final and it was ‘oh what a f****** failure’.’
Sporting did not register a shot on target or win a corner. Their manager, Ruben Amorim, said: ‘We knew it would be a difficult game. They are probably the best team in the world. Every time they got to our box they scored.
‘They are a great team and they killed us every time they got to our box. After the third goal it became suffering, it was no longer football. They have more years and a better coach.’
‘Joao Cancelo (right) was a player Guardiola highlighted who he said ‘missed a lot of balls’
Silva became the third player to hit double figures for City this season and also saw a header disallowed for offside to deny him a hat-trick on his return to Lisbon. The midfielder was jeered relentlessly throughout given his connections with Sporting’s cross-city rivals Benfica.
‘I am Portuguese and I’m from the other side of the city so it was special to score here in my hometown,’ he said. ‘It was nice to start the last 16 with a 5-0 win. It’s always an extra motivation to come here to Lisbon in such an important game. There is still a job to do in Manchester. We cannot relax.’
Guardiola added: ‘I always push him to say he needs to score more goals. He has everything and the ability to score more like he has today. He can win us games. His first goal was one of the best I’ve ever seen.’
Guardiola (left) admits he has always pushed Silva (right) to say he needs to score more goals
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